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Arran, Bealach Gaothar
Hut Circle (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Site Name Arran, Bealach Gaothar
Classification Hut Circle (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Canmore ID 40128
Site Number NS02SW 4
NGR NS 04448 23792
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/40128
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Kilbride
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Buteshire
NS02SW 4 0444 2379.
(NS 0444 2377) Stone Circle (NR)
OS 6" map, (1924)
The remains of a hut circle are situated on Bealach Gaothar. The entrance is in the E where there are two detached stones.
Source: Name Book 1864.
A circle of standing stones 18ft in diameter. The eleven stones, all small block or slabs, are very irregularly placed and 1-2ft high. The enclosed area is somewhat depressed, and it is doubtful if this circle is sepulchral.
Source: J Balfour 1910.
NS 0444 2379 The remains of a sub-circular enclosure, 5.8m internal diameter, situated on a level area at 615ft OD and approximately 25.0m from the edge of a cliff face.
It comprises a 0.4m high earth-and-stone bank with an almost continuous inner face of upright earthfast slabs (up to 0.7m high) with traces of an outer kerb or face giving a wall width of 1.8m. There is a 1.8m wide orthostated entrance in the south-east and the depressed interior is featureless with the exception of a large earthfast slab to the north. It does not correspond either in size or construction to the Arran hut circle and may possibly be a ring-type cairn.
There is no evidence of agricultural activity in the hilly area.
Surveyed at 1:10 000.
Visited by OS (T R G) 9 December 1977.
Note (30 January 2018)
The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed.
HES Survey and Recording 30 January 2018
Field Visit (29 October 2019)
What appears to be a small hut circle, measuring 5.5m in diameter within a bracken-, reed- and grass-grown stone-faced bank 2.1m thick and 0.45m high, is situated in moorland close to the leading edge of an E-facing terrace. Although some of the facing-stones have been robbed, at least four granite slabs are visible as part of the external face and another fifteen have been noted internally; two more form part of the entrance on the E. The interior is largely featureless, although there is a slim, earth-fast boulder situated close to the inner face on the N. A pit measuring 1.6m from N to S by 1.1m transversely and 0.25m deep has been excavated at the foot of the tallest of the internal facing-stones on the W.
Visited by HES, Survey and Recording (ATW, GLB and KLG) 29 October 2019.
Measured Survey (29 October 2019)
HES surveyed the possible hut circle at Bealach Gaothar on 29 October 2019 with plane-table and alidade at a scale of 1:50. GNSS data was also collected to accurately locate the plan. The resultant plan was redrawn in vector graphics software at a scale of 1:100.
